


Like the sunflowers.

by din0sauru



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Basically everyone tries to reconnect, Basil's POV, But the world doesn’t stop for anyone, Depression, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, God there’s too much to tag but everything that applies to Omori applies here, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Moving On, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, healing together, post-confession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:08:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/din0sauru/pseuds/din0sauru
Summary: It’s been two years since Sunny’s confession. After that, the group disbanded once again.But Basil should be happy. Happy that his friends are no longer blaming themselves. Happy that they know the truth. Happy that, despite everything, they're still around, even if it’s not around him.Perhaps one day… The sun will shine brighter and he’ll be able to smile at it… Like the sunflowers.
Relationships: Aubrey & Basil & Hero & Kel & Sunny (OMORI), Basil/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 219





	1. Prologue: Basil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m in love with Omori and I think everything about this game is truly beautiful and deep. I also love Basil very much and I can't help but think about him healing along with his friends.  
> For those who love Basil and this game as much as I do, and want to see a resolution after the confession, this is for you! Hopefully, we'll get through this together, just like they will!

At first, there’s silence. An almost asphyxiating silence that makes Basil tremble in his hospital bed, hands clutching at the bed sheets, eyes fixated on Sunny who is awaiting for a reaction after confessing what he did.

What _they_ did.

At first, there’s silence.

Then, there’s crying, loud and painful, heartbreaking and surely choleric… Shouting comes shortly after.

Cruel words are deserved, Basil thinks, as Aubrey curses his whole existence and says how much she regrets having introduced him to the group when they were kids. He only means catastrophes, of this he is very much aware.

Sunny is quick to shake his head.

"Sorry," He mumbles, "I'm the one to blame," Basil can see it. The amount of effort it takes Sunny to speak, "Even if it was an accident, I hid it," Sunny says and his voice trembles, but he doesn’t cry. He wants to do it, though. Basil can tell by the way his eyes are watering, "And I'm sorry. For lying to you guys, I'll always be."

Hero stands up suddenly, a hand clutching on his clothes.

"I need to go," He says, walking past Sunny but stops when he's at the door, "I don't know… If I'll ever be able to forgive you," He turns to face Sunny one more time, and although he looks angry, there's also an incredible pain hiding behind those eyes. Basil knows it, for Hero is too good to _hate_ and just leave it at that, "And I'm sorry for that."

That’s the last thing he says before leaving, ignoring Kel's calling.

"Oh, oh!" Aubrey starts again, letting out an hysterical laughter in between her cries, "Oh, I'm sure as heck I won’t forgive you!" She yells at Sunny, then turns to look at Basil, the rage in her expression increasing, "And you! How wrong in the head _you_ have to be?! How could you make him _do_ that?!" Her cries are filled with pain to the brim.

She must be suffering too, Basil wants to apologize for this, for _everything_ , but a hand slapping at his cheek stops him from doing so.

It stings. It _hurts_.

He wants to cry. He’s too close to breaking down into the tiniest bits. He can’t even breath properly and it shows. But he can’t cry in front of them, that would be selfish.

He can’t cry in front of Sunny, who’s trying to hold himself up after confessing such thing.

"Aubrey, wait up!" Kel yells, pulling her away from Basil's side, "Shoot, calm down, Aubrey!"

"Don't tell me to calm down when these two admitted killing Mari!" She struggles to push Kel away, elbowing him and trying to step on his feet, "Kel! Let go of me!"

But Kel doesn’t, instead, he holds onto her harder, "You won’t feel any better after this, Aubrey! You need to go!"

"Aren't you angry?! Aren’t you even sad abou–"

"I am!" Kell suddenly yells, shutting up Aubrey almost instantly, "I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm disappointed…" He sniffles, but doesn’t truly cry yet, "We were friends… We were supposed to trust each other," Kel looks at Basil, then looks at Sunny and finally, sets his eyes on Aubrey as he speaks, "And you guys didn’t even think about that when… _All of this_ went down." He furrows his brows and sighs, "I don't hate you, I don't blame you… _Too much_ , but…" He bites his lower, trembling lip, sniffing again, "I don’t know… I truly don’t know anymore, I'm so sorry, you guys…"

Aubrey won’t say anything, for she’s sobbing uncontrollably against Kel's chest.

"We'll go now… I bet you need to talk and everything, right?" Kel tries so hard. He tries so hard not to hurt them, tries so hard to make it seem like he can take it, but his smile has never been more fake and Basil wants it to stop. He wants Kel to hit him, if that makes his friend — _Friend_?— feel better, then Basil could be a piñata for all he cares.

"W-Why… Why did this happen…?" Aubrey weeps, face buried in Kel’s shirt.

"… See ya later," Kel says that, but there isn’t any conviction in his voice that show he _does_ want to see them later.

They walk past Sunny, not even daring to look at his face.

When the door closes, Basil finally breaks down.

"I-I’m sorry," He is quick to apologize, "I didn’t– I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to– God, I'm so… So sorry, Sunny".

Sunny looks at him and shakes his head, walking towards Basil’s bed, "I…"

Sunny doesn’t say much, if anything, Basil can barely hear Sunny’s voice in between his crying, but a hand on his shoulders lets him know he’s not alone in this.

Not anymore.

"It… Had to be done…" Basil whispers as he reaches Sunny’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

Sunny nods.

"And… A-And… You'll… Be going tomorrow, right, S-Sunny?" It pains Basil to say it, knowing the answer too well. Knowing Sunny won’t be there tomorrow morning. Knowing he'll have to deal with this on _his own_ , even if Sunny is now _back to him_.

Sunny nods again, but this time, he speaks softly, almost too soft, "Everything… Everything…" He squeezes harder onto Basil’s hand, as if asking the blonde one to continue.

Basil does, squeezing back, "W-Will be o-okay…? I'm the one w-who says t-that, haha…"

His best friend shows a broken and pained smile, yet it remains sincere.

Basil doesn’t know if things will be okay, he's too tired to even think about the future right now. His head hurts. His cheek hurts. Everything about him hurts like he’s being pulled by the arms and grabbed by the throat, choking him.

But when Sunny’s warm hand holds him tighter, there’s a bit of _hope_ shining down on them.

"I… I'll miss you, Sunny." Basil says, slowly closing his eyelids and allowing himself to drift away, the dream world of his own calling him back to an endless yet temporary peace.

Sunny allows him to sleep, yet never lets go of his hand.

And for that, Basil is grateful.

"I'll miss you too." Basil thinks he heard Sunny speak anew, but one can never be too sure, plus he isn’t the type to believe he’ll actually be missed, so decides it’s all in his imagination and dozes off.

Perhaps one day… The sun will shine brighter and he’ll be able to smile at it… _Like the sunflowers._

* * *

He's late.

He's been having trouble sleeping lately with college breathing down on his neck everyday, being the kind to worry about the smallest details when it comes to stuff he actually enjoys and cares. It shows in his plants, it shows in his photographs, but it doesn’t show in himself.

For he's arriving late to his part time job, once again.

Fix–It has had renovations in recent years. Some changes have been more noticeable than others, such as the expansion of the store in terms of household products and tools, while the flower store became an individual store, although it still belongs to the same company. 

This flower shop is called _Plant–It_. Very original, yes.

Of course, Basil saw this as an opportunity to keep his mind off things most of the time, and so he took the job.

And here he is! Running towards Plant–It, opening the door to find his coworker with her arms crossed, back pressed against the counter, practically piercing Basil with her icy gaze.

"Basil, again?!" She says, pointing at the clock hanging on the wall, “You’re thirty minutes late!"

"I'm sorry, _Clover_!" Basil apologizes, clasping both hands together and bowing. This is their usual routine, "I overslept…"

"I can see that!" She gets out of the corner and walks towards Basil, taking out what seems to be a leaf off his blond locks, “Did you fell over something on your way here?" Clover shows Basil the leaf, to which he responds with a confused look, shaking his head, "Weird."

"I did stood under a tree, though…" Basil laughs quietly as he puts on his apron, grabbing a watering can and a pair of garden snips, "Someone's dog kept following me –it was a really cute dog, too!– and I had to hide behind a tree to trick him, ahaha…"

Clover snorts, rolling her eyes, "Of course a dog followed you, _Disney Prince."_

"O-Oh, don’t call me that…" Basil stutters, cheeks reddening a little, "A-Anyways, I’ll get things done now, okay?"

"Suuure. Do let me know if you need anything!"

This is Basil's life now. College, work, photographs and flowers.

And the occasional voice of his coworker sharing a laugh with the customers, offering them gardening tips, talking about the language of flowers and wrapping things up by pointing at Basil and telling them he was the one who taught her all of it.

Basil gets flustered every time.

"Basil, I’ll go get some snacks for us!" Clover suddenly announces, and before Basil can let her know he's not hungry, she's already out the door.

"… Haaaah." Basil sighs and goes back to his work.

Clover is a very nice person. They’ve been working together at Plant–It for almost a year now and she's always been nice to him, no matter what. She loves to talk but when she does it too much, she's quick to apologize. Basil always tells her it’s okay, and so she keeps going.

She loves painting and is very loud when it comes to things she enjoys. She's always smiling and is always looking for the bright side of life. Oh, and the only reason she took on this job was because her name matched the energy of a flower shop.

Even when Basil knows all of these things, remembering them clearly, when Clover calls him her friend, Basil cannot bring himself to do the same.

It’s been two years since Sunny’s confession. After that, the group disbanded once again. Sunny moved out, Hero went back to college, Kel kept playing sports and Aubrey didn’t bully him anymore, but stopped talking to him altogether.

He was –and is– all on his own.

Knowing too well Sunny and his mother moved out to seek for peace and a better lifestyle, trying to leave behind the horrible situations that went down in this town, what can Basil possibly do by keeping in touch? He's only a reminder of what happened, he's sure of that.

Because of this, Basil rarely speaks to Sunny. He doesn’t want to be a bother. Not anymore.

And when it comes to his friend in Faraway Town, Basil doesn’t try to get close, for he doesn’t deserve them after lying to them. Sometimes, he sees Kel at the park, playing basketball on his own. Perhaps he's waiting for his friends? Basil doesn’t know, but won’t ever get close. Looking from afar, he wishes for Kel’s happiness.

Sometimes, he spots Aubrey hanging out with Kim at the candy shop, playfully pushing each other and messing up with their hairs, looking truly happy. Basil wishes for this happiness to last.

Hero’s at college most of the times, but Basil has seen him smiling warmly at his friends and families, amazing everyone with his intelligence and kindness, being the lovely person he’s always been. Basil wishes for him to be universally loved, always.

Another thing Basil wishes is to see Sunny. How is he doing? How is therapy treating him? Is he getting better? Does he have new friends now? New hobbies? Does he keep playing the violin? Does he ever think about Basil?

… No. He needs to concentrate. This isn’t what he should be doing.

He's happy. Happy that his _friends_ are no longer blaming themselves. Happy that they know the truth. Happy that, despite everything, they're still around, even if it’s not around him.

Yes, he _should_ be happy.

"Basil, I’m back!" The sound of the door opening and Clover's loud voice is what finally breaks the spell, Basil’s breath finally being able to steady. He wants to thank her, and although he clearly can’t say what’s been going on inside his head, perhaps sharing a snack with Clover and listening to her odd music can be a way to thank her for her selfless kindness.

Basil turns around with this idea in mind, wanting to greet her with a bright smile.

But he can’t bring himself to do so.

"I brought some snacks and someone that says they know you!" Clover beams, clasping her hands together, "You said your name was…?"

"Sunny…" Basil says without even thinking about it. Only then he realizes he’s been holding his breath.

"Basil…" Sunny speaks and Basil can feel his eyes watering. It’s him. It’s truly him. He hasn’t changed a bit. Well, he has an eyepatch now and perhaps has grown a centimeter or two, but it’s still him.

That’s still his best friend. His Sunny.

"It's… It’s been a while, hasn’t it?" When Sunny smiles, Basil no longer holds back, running towards him and embracing him tightly.

He’s back, once again.


	2. Chapter 1: Sunny's resolve.

Basil doesn't know. He really doesn't know how long it's been since he wrapped his arms around Sunny's body, feeling the warmth of his best friend for the first time in two long, lonely and difficult years.

What's even better, Sunny _is_ responding.

Sunny is hugging him too, like he _actually had missed_ Basil. Can that be true? Can Basil be selfish for once in his life and believe that’s true? His dearest friend missing him, _someone_ actually missing him in their lives… Him wanting it to be a fact, and not just a wish… That would be _too_ selfish.

He only realizes that they've been hugging longer than expected when Clover clears her throat, even laughing a bit at the situation. Basil finally frees Sunny’s body as he leaps back, both hands being unable to keep still, which is why he ends up hiding them inside the pockets of his apron.

"S-Sorry!" Basil stutters, chuckling nervously. A blush creeps across his cheeks. He can’t, for his dear life, bear to look at Sunny in the eyes now, "I… I got excited, it's been… Two years, ahaha."

"… Yeah, it's… Been, yeah." Sunny simply repeats, but Basil isn’t looking. He’s decided a single petal on the floor is more interesting and at least that won’t embarrass him.

But Clover will.

"Well, this is great! If it wasn’t for the eyepatch, maybe this heartwarming reunion wouldn’t have happened!" The red-headed girl beams, staring at Sunny with wide, gleaming blue eyes, opening her mouth as to say something but quickly shuts it when customers enter the flower shop, running behind the counter to serve them in what she can.

There's silence for a moment, the both of them glancing at the girl. When she notices this, she raises her thumb and winks, supporting as always, Basil thinks.

It’s selfish of him, leaving all the hard work to his coworker, but even if his brain repeats this, Basil decides to take on this opportunity whole heartedly, walking to the next aisle to trim the large amount of leaves on some plants and flowers.

"That was… Uhm… Clover…" Basil begins, concentrating –trying, honestly- on his work while Sunny carefully touches some roses, "She's my… coworker, yeah."

Sunny stays silent. Basil gulps, breathing heavily.

Still, he forces himself to speak, for he’s been wanting to do this again for so long, to talk to his friends, to talk to Sunny, "Uhm… Can I, uh, well… Can I ask you something?"

Sunny nods, "Yes?"

"What did she mean by…" Unable to say the word, feeling embarrassed and guilty about what's covering Sunny’s eye, Basil only happens to point at it.

"Oh… She said it was _cool_ and told me _her friend_ had once asked for eyepatches’ designs…"

Oh no. _Oh no_. Not the eyepatch design incident, anything but that! Basil’s cheeks are burning, he hopes Clover didn’t tell him the story at all.

"And… I got curious. So I asked her who said that. She said your name." Pinching his cheek, Sunny stares at the ground for a whole minute before actually speaking anew, and Basil thanks the heavens his best friend isn’t feeling uncomfortable around him.

Or he isn’t showing it, at least.

"I’ve come to visit," Sunny confesses, stoic expression shattering when he bites his lower lip, "I wanted to let you know, but…"

Basil feels his heartbeat drop, cold sweat running down his spine.

He hadn’t been answering Sunny's phone calls.

"I’m sorry… I-I… I’ve been… No… I…" He doesn’t want to lie. Not to Sunny. He can’t do that, "I thought… I thought you'll be better off without me."

When Basil mumbles this, Sunny's expressions hardens.

 _It stings_.

"That’s… That’s not true," Sunny frowns ever so slightly, shaking his head.

It's hard for his best friend to speak. He’s never been a person of many words and has always preferred to listen rather than talk. When they were kids, even when his heart was filled with anguish or happiness, Sunny kept quiet most of the times, from time to time his actions being the ones that spoke for him. Basil thinks that hasn't changed, but… He can't be sure, for two years have passed by… And those four years after Mari's death, they completely closed off.

They truly don’t know each other anymore, do they?

This sole thought hurts Basil to the point of being unable to breath properly. The walls he’s build for protection are cracking.

"I'm sorry," Basil manages, biting inside his cheek, "I'm always… Haha… E-Even whey I try to help you, somehow I always seem to m-mess it up."

Sunny stares down at his hands, eyes looking tired, hollow.

Basil's walls are crumbling down.

"They haven’t forgiven me, I don’t think they will," Sunny mutters, averting his gaze. He then takes in a deep breath, "You… You are the only one I have".

And so, Basil completely shatters as tears roll down his cheeks, having to turn his back to Sunny.

He remembers Hero's pain and then recoils.

_"I don't know… If I'll ever be able to forgive you_ _."_

He remembers Aubrey's cries and then hiccups.

_"Oh, I'm sure as heck I won’t forgive you!"_

He remembers Kel's words and then sobs.

_"We were friends… We were supposed to trust each other."_

Basil _succumbs_.

And he hates himself for doing so in front of the one that's been hurting the most.

Sunny doesn’t deserve this. He’s too good of a person to be treated like this. It was a mistake! A horrible mistake! And Basil did nothing but to make it even worse by trying to help! If their _friends_ are this angry, it’s because he made Sunny follow his lead and do something so unspeakable!

Someone's breathing quickly. Someone is hyperventilating. Basil realizes it’s him when his chest begins to hurt.

"I'm sorry… I’m sorry, Sunny," Basil covers his face, pressing his hands harsh onto his eyes, so hard he can practically see black spots forming around, "I'm– God, no… I’m fine, it’s fine, give a minute–!"

Two hands press down on his shoulders, then he’s being pulled in what seems to be an awkward hug.

The guilt may be lifted after confessing their crimes and years may pass.

But trauma doesn’t go away that easily, Basil has learnt.

Clutching Sunny's shirt, Basil buries his face against his shoulder, allowing himself to calm down, his breathing steadying.

It's been so long. _So long_ since he’s been embraced like this. So tenderly.

"I'm… S-sorry," Basil apologizes, voice croaky, "I… I promise you, I know how to hold myself better now." He cracks a tired smile when Sunny pulls back enough to stare at his blue eyes, giving Basil a tired, yet sincere and small smile.

"It's okay," Sunny reassures, finally freeing Basil from his grip. Basil clutches his clothes to drown the need to pull him in once more, "I'm not mad."

Basil wants to smile, but only now realizes Sunny’s acting _fine_. That’s not a bad thing! He’s glad, oh so glad Sunny is doing better, but… There’s something weird about him acting like he is… _Completely alright._

Perhaps therapy truly does wonders.

Or Sunny is hiding _something_.

"Are… Are you okay, Sunny?" Basil asks, tugging at his arm.

Sunny’s eyes widen for a moment, "Why do you ask…?"

"I… don’t know," And it’s true. He truly doesn’t know, but can’t shake off the feeling something is wrong, "I… I missed you, Sunny, and I…" He hesitates for a moment, eyes flicking up at the ceiling. The lights hurt his eyes and that’s his cue to continue, "I know I’ve d-disappointed you, but… I’m here. I'm always here," _I’ve always been here_ , "And you don’t… You don’t need to hide your pain from me, okay?"

Sunny goes silent.

And then, he presses his lips together, avoiding Basil’s gaze.

"I thought you wouldn’t notice," He offers Basil a broken smile, sighing quietly, "Old habits die hard."

"Of course I would’ve noticed!" Basil smiles back, a hand resting on Sunny's shoulder, "We are friends, right?"

It’s been so long since he ever said that word.

Sunny nods, and then adds, "Sorry for bothering you at work."

"You never do!" Basil is quick to protest, "Can we meet up later? At Gino’s, maybe? You must be hungry! It's my treat!"

When Basil is done talking, Sunny, for the first time since he came into the flower shop, _laughs_.

It's a soft, quiet laugh, but it’s there, it exists, and Basil heart skips a beat.

If only, the others could see Sunny like this.

If only, they could all laugh together like this.

_If only._

"U-Uhm, excuse me…" A voice that’s not theirs can be heard, and only then Basil remembers he’s supposed to be working.

"C-Clover, I'm so so sorry!"

Clover shakes her hands and head, smiling reassuringly, "No no! It’s okay! I just… I just need your help with something, it’s quick, I promise!" She clasps her hands together, as if she were begging.

Sunny gathers himself, speaking before Basil can do so, "Excuse me, I’ll be leaving now, so it’s okay…"

Clover puts on a sad face, pouting, "Aww, but Basil seems happy when you’re around!"

Basil's ears begin to heat as soon as she says that.

Good thing the girl loves to speak and quickly changes the subject, "Come back soon, yes? I want to know more about Basil’s friends!" She waves Sunny goodbye, to what Sunny imitates, walking to the front door to take his leave.

But he turns one more time, his dark eyes getting a quick glance of Basil before actually leaving the flower shop.

Soon, he’s gone.

And Basil breaks into bubbled laughter, as giddy as one can be.

"That boy is a cat," Clover adds her own flavor to Basil's reasons to laugh, "And you look like a flan!" She chuckles, pushing him gently.

"Haha… Sorry! It’s just… It’s been too long since the last time I saw him."

"I can see that!" The redheaded exclaims, eyes shimmering with excitement, but there’s also a certain tenderness in her countenance that Basil can’t seem to understand just yet.

"W-What…? What’s wrong…?"

"I'm happy for you, Basil," She says, smiling sweetly, "You're a good kid. You deserve some great friends."

That _stings_.

But it also feels _quite alright_ to hear.

Clover is a good person. A good _friend_.

"And now, help me with work! I'm going to drown!"

Basil laughs, nodding rapidly, "Sure, sure! I'll help you!"

At first, he felt defenseless, afraid, stressed out and saddened, memories piling up and Sunny's presence reminding him of his past mistakes.

But then, then it all went away. Sunny’s gentle words and actions, so strange, yet so memorable and nostalgic to when things were okay…

There's _hope_.

There’s hope for a better day.

* * *

"Yahoo! We’re done!" Clover announces happily, gathering her belongings from the employee room, carefully tucking a few lilies into her purse, "I always tell mom I'll bring her lilies and I always forget, haha! But today, today is the day…!"

"That’s good, but…" Basil pouts, worried that the flowers may suffer if they’re stuffed in her purse for too long, "Be careful with them, okay…?"

"I will! Don't worry, I won’t run and I won’t keep them here for so long!" She reassures him, both thumbs up. Basil can only sigh, after all, she's known for being kind of reckless.

"Okay… Uhm… If it’s okay with you, can I–?"

Clover interrupts him by pushing him outside the shop, "Yeah, it’s okay with me! Now go, go!”

She practically slams the door shut, waving Basil goodbye from inside. Basil cracks a nervous smile, shaking his head and then proceeds to walk away, every step he takes to the pizzeria becoming more eager until he finds himself running, only coming to a stop when he's at the front door.

He gathers himself, taking in a deep breath.

He pushes the door open, the smell strong enough to shock him for a minute, disturbing his nose. It’s quite the difference, from the various scents of every kind of flowers at Plant–it… To tomato sauce and cheese, a doughy parmesan crusted garlic knot type of smell.

Then there’s Sunny, sitting down far from the others customers.

Basil practically slides across the room.

"Sorry for taking so long!" Basil says, bowing his head as he takes a seat, "Have you eaten?"

Sunny shakes his head, "Not yet, I’m not hungry." He presses his lips together, his hands starting to fidget.

"A-Are you okay, Sunny…?" Basil first instinct is to reach out to his best friend’s hand, yet he stops midway, unsure of the way he's approaching this situation.

Sunny mumbles, "I missed this place…" His voice sounds neutral, his expression is stoic, but Basil can see it, can _sense_ it. Nostalgia isn’t the only feeling his friend is experiencing.

"I hope this doesn’t get too much for you…" Basil expresses his concern, worrisome blue eyes meeting dark ones.

"It's okay, I'm here because I want to."

Now, when Sunny says this, Basil is reminded of something important. Something he can’t wait to ask, for it’s been eating him from inside.

"Sunny… Why are you back?" He asks, but is quick to add, "And I don’t mean it in a bad way! I'm… truly the happiest, now that you’re here, but…"

Sunny sits straight and tightens his grip on the corners of the table, eyes closed for a short amount of time in which he seems to be gathering his thoughts.

"Mari," He pauses, eyes flickering at the own mention of his sister’s name, "When Mari was alive, we were together all the time."

There’s now a lump in Basil's throat, unwanted memories piling up. He realizes his hands are trembling, so he folds them together, setting them atop of his lap.

"And all I've been doing is… _Running_ … Running away from me, from my friends, from _her_." His voice sounds breathy, Basil notices, worried that everything is, indeed, _too much_ for Sunny.

But Sunny doesn’t stop. Instead, he continues where he left off, gulping down a sigh.

"When I moved out, I never reached out, I almost completely closed off again if it wasn’t for _you_ … I was _afraid_ , I am… I am afraid of how things are now."

Basil understands, for he's been feeling like this for six years consecutively.

This time, he doesn’t doubt himself anymore, grabbing Sunny’s hand. His friend squeezes it back.

"I want… To do things right," He sentences, his eyes looking for Basil’s, "Even if I'm not forgiven, I want them to know I'm not running away."

"You'll look for them, Sunny? Our friends?" Basil asks.

"I… I don’t want them to think I confessed because I wanted to clear my head… But because I love them, and I don’t want to lie to them, not anymore."

Basil nibbles on his lower lip, trying to bite down a sob. Instead, he shows Sunny the biggest smile he can offer.

"Was it hard?" Basil wonders, cocking his head to the side, "Telling me this, I mean."

"As hard as it was fighting the urge to hide my mom’s car keys."

They both laugh, their shoulders loosing tenseness as they finally drop, Sunny having calmed down and Basil's lump in his throat finally untied.

"Sunny, my best friend…" Basil tells him, eyes closed, breath steady and their fingers intertwined together, "If you’re here… Then I'm sure of it."

"Yes?" Sunny smiles warmly at him.

"I’m sure that… _Everything will be okay._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the enormous support!! You don't know how happy it's made me!
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if Clover as a character bothers you. I just think Basil needs some support and someone who's not part of the gang to tell him that he isn't as bad as he thinks.  
> But I promise you, the gang will appear soon!! They are the main characters after all!!


	3. Chapter 2: The embrace of a cactus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Anxiety attacks. Mentions of unhealthy copping mechanisms.
> 
> Please, if these things make you uncomfortable, take care of yourself first!

“Thanks… For having me.” Sunny struggles to say when Polly squeals the moment she sees him, going in for a big hug.

“It’s so good to see you, Sunny!” She happily chirps, letting go only when Basil clears his throat, his lips pressed together to keep a giggle from leaving his mouth. Polly isn’t aware of this —of anything, really—, for she’s too immersed in her own feelings, “I’ll make something delicious for you two!”

“You know you don’t have to, Polly…” Basil mumbles, a faint smile on his face as the girl shakes her head, puffing out her cheeks.

“But I want to! Even if I’m not your caretaker anymore, you’re like a little brother to me, you know?” Polly says, ruffling Basil’s hair tenderly, “So let me take care of you. Both of you! Okay?”

Basil is red to his ears, but can’t help the smile from growing wider. Polly has always been too nice to him, for that he’s extremely thankful and he truly appreciates her for _always_ being there.

Being next to him when he needed _someone_ the most. Tending to Basil’s flowers when he was too depressed to even get out of bed and do so. Finding out Basil’s favorite dishes by his reactions and then cooking them whenever she tried to make him feel better, and so much more. He’s glad to have her. She’s the older sister he never had.

“Ah, uh… O-Okay, Polly…” Basil stammers, shyly tucking an unruly strand behind his ear, “We’ll be in by room, but let me know if you need anything, alright…?”

She kindly smiles and nods, running to the kitchen, almost hopping. Basil and Sunny silently watch as she puts on the apron and grabs the wooden cutting board and a knife. How is she so skillful at cutting the onions while also turning on the stove and cooking the rice is beyond them.

“Uhm… A-Anyways!” Basil quickly snaps out it, shaking his head. The strand of hair he had tucked away before moves out of place once again, pocking one of his eyes, “Ah!” He yelps and pushes his hair back with one hand, huffing. He better write down a reminder to cut it.

For a second there, Basil thinks he listens to Sunny’s laugh, but when he turns to face him, eyes gleaming with hope, looking forward to seeing a grin, his best friend is just standing there, his expression as stoic as always.

Basil narrows his eyes.

Ultimately, he decides to let go of the thought, shrugging, “Let’s… Let’s go, okay?” He says, making his way to his room, trusting Sunny will be right behind him.

Sunny simply nods, doing just as told.

“I bet you’re confused…” Basil tells as he opens the door, allowing Sunny to get inside, “My parents dismissed Polly right after I turned eighteen, yet she never stopped coming… I guess they kind of knew that would happen? Ahaha…” Basil’s heart did stop when she told him about his parent’s decision to cut her off, but that’s a story for another day.

Sunny stares at Basil, then offers a comforting smile, to which Basil replies with another one.

Why are they in Basil’s house now?

Well, once they opened their hearts and expressed how badly they wanted, they _needed_ everything to go back to the way it was —Although are very much aware it’ll be impossibly hard—, they decided to work together once again, for the greater good this time, so that it would be so.

Leaving Gino’s Pizzeria and sneakily going around town, avoiding to be seen at all cost for the time being until they had some things sorted out, they arrived at Basil’s house.

Sunny’s mom had no trouble allowing Sunny to stay the night at Basil’s house, and it wasn’t until Sunny told Basil that his mother wouldn’t stay for the week that it registered in his mind that Sunny would be staying at his house for the time being.

And that’s why they are at his house now.

It’s not like Basil doesn’t want it to happen! But it’s all too sudden and he’s kind of nervous about it. Of course, Sunny did try to tell him beforehand, but Basil wouldn’t answered the phone and so, he got surprised.

 _Stupid_.

“So…” Basil begins, taking a seat on his bed, folding his hands together and setting them atop of his lap, “Any ideas on how to start…?” He questions, tilting his head to the side as he twirls his thumbs, blue eyes following Sunny’s every move.

Sunny takes in a deep breath, “My therapist told me to not rush things, to take it slow, one step at a time…” Basil can see it, how hard it is for Sunny to speak about his therapy and what he’s been through the past two years, yet he doesn’t stop, instead, he gathers himself and focuses on his next words, “So, I think we should talk to them separately…”

Basil opens his mouth as to say something but quickly shuts it, nibbling on his lower lip. The sole question makes him fidgety.

“Yes?” It seems Sunny notices it, for he calls Basil’s attention.

“Ah… I was just wondering… Who should we start with?” Basil finally says it and everything suddenly settles in.

They _have_ to talk to them. They have to speak, face to face, with those who they used to call _friends_.

Of course, Basil _was_ aware of this, yet somehow his brain didn’t actually register it until one of them said it.

Sunny averts his gaze as he sighs, sounding _almost_ irritated, “I… don’t know,” He falters, voice too quiet, too _afraid_ , “I… don’t know if…”

 _If they’ll listen_ , Basil concludes in his head what Sunny cannot bring himself to say.

But Basil needs to support his best friend, who’s trying his best to make things better. Sunny has to have confidence that things will be okay in the end. That they will listen to his apologizes and forgive him, for they love Sunny and always will.

“They will listen to you,” Basil says, carefully, “They love you, I know they do”.

“ _Us,”_ Sunny points out, brows knitting together, “They’ll forgive us.”

Basil notices with a sinking heart how Sunny’s eyes grow sadder when he doesn’t reply back.

The room is soon filled with nothing but silence between them.

A voice inside Basil’s head seems to step in then, filling the silence with a whisper, something akin to hands squeezing his neck, making it harder to breath all of sudden.

_You don’t deserve their forgiveness. The way you treated Mari’s body was disgusting. What Sunny did was an accident. **What you did WASN’T.**_

Basil swallows and it pains him to do so, as if someone is clawing fervently at his dry throat; as if he’s being forced to eat down roses with thorns. His chest feels so tight and soon enough, when everything around him seems fuzzy, his vision becomes blurry and Sunny’s hand tries to reach him, he realizes what’s happening.

“I-I’m fine!” Basil is quick to say, yet his voice is shaky and his pitch has risen noticeably, “I’m s-sorry, p-p-please, don’t…”

Don’t.

Don’t.

Don’t _what_?

 _It_ won’t stop. Why won’t _it_ stop? Not now, not when Sunny is looking. Not when he’s been doing so good lately, managing his attacks and keeping them at bay for weeks.

Please, _stop_.

“I-I-I’ll go see if P-P-Polly needs help!” Basil stammers, standing up and walking fast outside his room, ignoring Sunny’s attempts to reach out to him.

He’s running.

When Polly asks him where is he going, he keeps on running.

When he opens the door and notices his vision blocked by tears, he keeps on running.

When he thinks everyone’s eyes are on him, judging him, disappointed at everything he’s ever done and is, he keeps on running.

Running.

Running to nowhere.

Even when he is out of breath, even when his feet are hurting, even when his chest’s so tight it feels like his lungs are being compressed together, he keeps on running until, inevitably, he stumbles, rolling down a hill, stones digging into his elbows and wounding his legs and knees.

And his back crashes into the trunk of a tree. And everything comes to a stop.

“Gah!” He spits out a pained scream, gasping for air, grasping at nothing, moaning for a help that won’t be arriving.

The sky isn’t blue anymore, nor its orange or pink. It’s turning blue mixed with a dark shade of purple and a tint of grey here and there.

It’s very late. And it’s getting colder.

But, when Basil realizes where he is lying, it seems that all pain in his body disappears, practically numb from the disillusionment that soon seizes his unstable mind. He suddenly feels at ease, closing his eyes, letting the wind stroke his face. The grass underneath him caresses his nape ever so tenderly, the musty smell that quickly fills his nostrils being somewhat nostalgic, but it's not really bothersome, it never has been for him.

And then there’s this smell.

This sweet smell.

 _Cookies_.

“Mari…” He weakly raises his hand, trying to reach the starry sky for forgiveness, glazed eyes blinking so slowly, tears roll down his cheeks once again, “Everyone… I’m so sorry.”

Basil faints afterwards.

* * *

_“Oh, Basil… I… I should’ve been more…”_

_“No! Polly, please, this isn’t your fault!”_

Light.

He feels very light, like a feather. He’s being carried.

There’s voices he feels he recognizes too well. Voices he wants to embrace and never let go of.

_“It’s nothing! I was worried too! He seemed pretty out of it…”_

One voice, his dear caretaker–no, his older sister, Polly. She sounds worried to death. It’s probably his fault, once again.

“ _But I’ll take him to his room now, okay?”_

This voice.

This voice, always so energetic, somehow self-centered yet _so_ caring, always one step ahead when someone is feeling down and is being harsh on themselves. Always positive, giving everyone genuine compliments, helping out in whatever he can, as much as he can, for _he_ is truly a ray of sunshine, lightning up whatever room _he_ is in.

“ _I can’t believe I’ve found you like this…”_

He sounds… Melancholic.

_“I’m sorry… I never reached out again. I was afraid of… Everything, I guess? Everything changing once again…”_

Basil wants to shake his head and tell him he hasn’t done anything wrong, ever.

_“I’m still afraid, you see, ahaha… Saying all of this while you’re…”_

There’s the sound of a door opening.

Silence.

Someone’s breathing is heavy. Basil realizes it’s _not_ his.

“Sunny…?”

It’s at the mention of that name that Basil jolts to his feet, stumbling away from _Kel’s_ gentle grip, his back bumping into the wall behind.

He’s shaking.

“B-Basil! W-Wait, you’re not okay! You shouldn’t…” Suddenly, he shuts his mouth and glances at the corridor, gesturing Basil with both hands to hush, “Let’s gooo…” He then whispers, signalizing Basil to follow him inside the room where Sunny is waiting, dumbfounded and yet, his eyes are gleaming with both hope and worry.

Basil does as he’s told and shuts the door behind him.

Again, there’s silence.

Basil’s eyes are fixed on the floor, unable to gaze at his two childhood friends for any longer than two seconds. He’s embarrassed and feels like a disappointment in every sense of the word.

Sunny probably hates him now, for things aren’t going nothing as planned.

Not that they had a plan to begin with, but.

“… Well, uhm… Hey, Sunny!” Kel breaks the silence, huffing out an anxious laugh, “Uh, I didn’t know you… You where around…”

“I… I just arrived.” Sunny simply says.

Basil sneaks a glance at Sunny’s face, watching him go still when Kel walks towards him. For a moment, Sunny seems to go pale, his body trembling as Kel raises his hand, just as shaky. Is he perhaps pondering of hitting him? Basil refuses to belive that could ever happen. Kel would never do something like that! And yet, Basil's heart only fears for the well-being of his childhood friends, speeding up with every move that the tallest makes, unsure of absolutely everything, Basil can tell by the way his fingers seem to suffer from small spasms.

Finally, his hand drops on Sunny's shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Kel says, taking in a deep breath before continuing, voice notoriously heavy, “I was… Confused. Angry. Sad. Everything at once, I guess? And I… I just wanted to _run away_ from everything,” Kel confesses, his last words being whispered, as if he were embarrassed to admit it, “And I did, kind of.”

He then turns to looks at Basil, cracking an apologetic smile. Basil feels _distraught_ at the thought of Kel feeling like he should be the one to apologize, the intense throbbing of his heart hurting like he’s being ripped from the inside, too overwhelming to fight it. Yet, when he tries and opens his mouth to protest, he can’t say anything, he _can’t_ and it’s mortifying, the pressure in his chest increasing and his mouth as dry as a desert keeps him from breaking down crying.

“Basil, you… I owe you an apologize, too…” Kel says, carefully, slowly, gently, everything Basil doesn’t deserve, “I… I didn’t hate you back then, nor I do now! I promise… I… I was just… Disappointed? Yeah, yeah, that, yeah… I guess? I don’t know, wow, ahaha…”

“Please…” Basil whimpers, but he knows he isn’t listened.

Kel sighs, “What I’m trying to say is… I was afraid of what we had become,” He croaks, pulling down his shirt, trying to focus on something else, or at least that seems to be it for Basil, “When did we stop trusting each other? I wasn't… Ready to accept it again, you see.” He pauses, swallowing hard, hesitation in his eyes as to how to proceed, “I… I decided to focus solely in sports and I guess I overdid myself many times…”

Basil remembers something clearly, as if it had happened yesterday, when he overheard Kel’s mom crying at the pharmacy, being tightly held by her husband. She cried out how worried she was, for Kel had been acting recklessly, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion, passing out in their backyard after training for hours under terrible conditions.

“Or so Hero says, but, I swear I've always been okay!” He then laughs, shrugging off his unhealthy copping mechanism, “Anyways, that has nothing to do with this, haha… Ah well… I… Sorry. It hasn't been easy and… Well, uh, I'm sorry.”

Every breath is a hitch in Basil’s chest, every word he tries to say a struggle.

“I’m sorry.” Sunny repeats, voice dry and flat, yet there’s something lingering in the way he wets his lips every now and then, clenching and unclenching his fists as he speaks.

He is _feeling_ more than what he shows.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been a terrible friend,” It’s always been hard for Sunny to convey his feeling, nonetheless, he keeps trying his best so that Kel can understand him, “I should have spoken sooner. I should have trusted you all…” He chews on his lower lip, digging his teeth harshly on the sensitive flesh.

“Sunny, stop that,” Kel is quick to stop him, setting both his hands atop Sunny's shoulders, “Don’t hurt yourself like that.”

Sunny’s hands instinctively reach out to Kel’s, clawing at his forearms, “I didn’t confess,” He swallows, pressing his lips together, then proceeds, “because I wanted to free myself from the guilt.”

Someone bubbles out a whine. Basil realizes it’s him.

“I did it because I loved– I loved you all, and I was _tired_ of lying, of not trusting. And I’m sorry.”

Sunny concludes, his lashes glistening with tears every time he blinks.

Kel is silent.

And then, he’s not.

Basil has never seen Kel cry like this before, not even in his worst nightmares.

“Oh, man, I…” He struggles to say, whipping away the tears from his cheeks, “I didn’t think I’ll be crying like this today, ahaha!”

“K-K-Kel…” Basil stutters, the lump in his throat finally allowing him to speak, “I’m s-sorry… I t-thought you hated m-me and I… I didn’t reach out, and I’m so so–!”

Before Basil knows it, he is being pulled in for a tight embrace that leaves him breathless, unable to respond for a fleeting second in which he notices Sunny’s being hugged too. A shiver runs down his spine as his hands rise, fingers digging at Kel’s back, hiding his wet face in the curve of his friend’s neck and finally embracing Kel back.

“I love you,” Kel says, words weakened to snivels, tightening his grip, “You– You’re my best friends, you’ve always been my best friends!”

They cry for who knows how long, their legs faltering after a while, gradually dropping to their knees.

“Haah… Wow!” Kel suddenly yelps, pulling back from the hug. There’s a big grin on his face. He looks happy, _truly happy,_ “We should have done this sooner, don’t you think?” He jokes, winking and remaining tears roll down once again.

Basil giggles nervously, nodding, “Y-Yeah, yeah! I… I… missed you, so so so much, Kel!” He says, shyly seizing Kel’s hand, squeezing it softly. Kel squeezes back, comforting as always.

“Me too… I missed you…” Sunny then sniffs, averting his gaze to hide his pink- looking nose and cheeks, but it’s too late, for Kel and Basil have already seen it.

“C’mon man! Don’t hide your cute crying face!” Kel exclaims, pinching on Sunny’s side while Basil roars with laughters, only to be attacked by Kel’s fingers too.

Sunny’s laugh is quiet, yet so sincere.

He’s happy.

Kel’s happy.

Everyone is truly happy.

For a moment, Basil forgets his anxiety, forgets his fears and forgets everything that’s been hurting him, reveling in this long awaited moment.


End file.
